Transcriptional profiling of Candida albicans in the host

Abstract

Gene expression profiling has become an important tool for determining gene functions, performing phenotypic analysis, and quantifying the differential expression of individual transcripts under various conditions. Candida albicans gene expression is highly responsive to environmental conditions and rapidly adapts to various niches within the host. Here, we describe a mouse model of gastrointestinal colonization with C. albicans, the measurement of colonization in fecal pellets, and the collection of samples for transcriptional profiling. We describe how to extract and purify RNA suitable for analysis via RT-qPCR or microarray.